The present invention relates to a system, a system construction method, a managing terminal and a program, and in particular, to techniques for a system, a system construction method, a managing terminal, and a program employing a monitor camera.
There exists a monitor camera for use with an Internet Protocol (IP) network in which a video image of the monitor camera can be referred to or viewed via the IP network from, for example, a remote monitor center. Some of such monitor cameras include a Plug&Play function or a plug and play function which serves various functions as follows. For example, it is possible to detect a monitor camera via a network. Information pieces of the monitor camera can be collected, operated or processed. It is also possible to refer to video images of the information pieces of the monitor camera.
To execute such functions, it is first required to set an appropriate IP address to the monitor camera. An IP address can be set to the camera in a static address setting method or a dynamic address setting method. In the static address setting, an installation operator manually sets an IP address without duplication to a monitor camera operable for an IP network at a position where the monitor camera is installed. Or, for example, a manager beforehand sets an IP address without duplication to a monitor camera operable for an IP network. In the dynamic address setting operation using, for example, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP; Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, March 1997, RFC2131), when a monitor camera operable for an IP network including a DHCP client function is coupled with a network, a DHCP server installed by the manager side assigns an IP address to the monitor camera. DHCP is a protocol for automatically allocating an IP address to a computer connected to a network such as the internet.
When the installation operator conducts the static address setting of an IP address at the installation position, it is required that the installation operator has expert knowledge for the operation. This also requires a period of time and labor. When the manager beforehand conducts the static address setting of an IP address, it is required after an IP address is set to the monitor camera without duplication that the manager informs the installation operator of a correct installation position and an IP address corresponding thereto. The installation operator installs the monitor camera at the beforehand determined place while confirming the IP address of the monitor camera.
In the dynamic address setting by use of, for example, DHCP, it is not required to beforehand set any data item to the monitor camera. The installation operator can install a desired monitor camera at an appropriate installation position. However, after the monitor camera is installed, the correspondence between the installation position of the monitor camera and the IP address assigned by, for example, DHCP is unknown to the manager side. Since the
IP address is not known, the manager side cannot determine a monitor camera as a target for conducting an operation and for referring to a video image. This leads to difficulties in the operation.
To overcome the difficulties, patent JP-A-10-285585 describes a method using a monitor camera including a function to obtain information of a position of its own. When such monitor camera is installed at one of the specified monitor camera installation positions, information of the position and an identifier (ID) of the monitor camera are sent to the manager side. As a result, it is possible for the manager to obtain the monitor camera installation position and the identifier to refer to a video image of the monitor camera.